Pinata
by Caroline
Summary: [GCR] Flufftastic oneshot. Letter P for the Graveshift alphabet challenge. 'Hey Cath? I thought of something I want to do...'


TITLE: Pinata  
SPOILERS: Miniscule one for "XX" (4x16)  
AUTHOR'S NOTES: This is letter 'P' for the GraveshiftCSI alphabet challenge. Thanks again to Gomey, for tossing me back into the G/C love, and for issuing this fab mini-challenge. Here, have some Hugh Lauries... hehehe.

* * *

"There... that's it... a little further..."

"Gil..."

"A little to the right, Cath. ...No, the other right. There, that's it."

"Gil, you're making this harder than it needs to be."

"Hard, that's the ticket. Do it a little harder this time. Yeah, there you go. Almost there..."

"Dammit Gil, now you're just pissing me off."

"Harder, Cath, do it harder."

"You're damn right I'll do it harder. There!"

"Almost, Cath, almost! Do it one more time!"

"Like this?"

"YES! YES! HERE IT COMES!"

With a loud crack, the paper mache and crepe paper donkey split apart, its candy innards raining down on the two senior CSI's. Catherine, grinning triumphantly, yanked the blindfold off that had been hindering her vision and let out a girlish giggle, diving for the candy.

Greg Sanders ducked out of the way as the stick used to beat the pinata was flung in his direction. "Geez!" He turned to the tall brunette smirking beside him. "So glad I invited those two."

Sara Sidle patted his arm consolingly. "Sorry, Greg. You know, this is sort of your fault, though."

"How, exactly?"

"You decided to have a birthday party, kid-style, complete with a pinata. Any chance Catherine gets to beat the hell out of something or shoot something, she'll take it."

He shrugged. "I figured it wouldn't have been a big deal... unless the pinata looked like Ecklie."

Sara chuffed, taking a sip of her beer. "There would've been a line around the block for that one."

"Greg!" Catherine, with a candy-laden Grissom in tow, bounded up to him and Sara, planting a loud smooch on his cheek. "Fantastic party! Seriously, love the pinata idea!"

"There aren't gonna be any clowns, are there?" Nick Stokes asked as he ambled up to the group.

Grissom's lips twitched. "Phobic, Nicky?"

"Hey, clowns are evil, man! Don't even get me started."

"No clowns," Greg promised, "but I did hire a guy that makes balloon animals. He's over by the cotton candy machine."

Catching the last portion of his comment, Sara's eyes widened. "Cotton candy? Bonus!" Immediately, she grabbed Nick by the collar of his tee-shirt and dragged him away in search of the sugary confection.

Grissom, Catherine, and Greg watched the brunettes walk away briefly. "So Greggy, are you enjoying your party?" Catherine asked.

"I am, yes. Thanks for the tickets to that concert, Cath. I can't wait." When she smiled her response, he turned his attention to Grissom, his voice now void of any enthusiasm. "And Grissom, thanks for the free passes to that entomology lecture you're giving. ...I can't wait."

"They're not just for the lecture, Greg, they're free passes to the entire convention," Grissom responded, his eyes busy cataloguing the different kinds of food present.

"Be still my heart," Greg quipped.

Grissom winced when Catherine smacked him on the shoulder. "You got him passes to an entomology convention? Geez, Gil... might as well sign him up for subsequent therapy sessions too."

He turned his eyes back to his companion, neither noticing the amused look Greg was sporting upon watching their interaction. "There is nothing wrong with immersing yourself in the wonderful world of insects. I think it'll be eye-opening. It was for Sara. She still tells me how much she enjoys the entomology textbook I got her a couple Christmases ago."

Catherine sighed. "Gil, honey, the next birthday or holiday that comes up, I'm going to immerse you in the wonderful world of retail. We'll go to the mall."

He shook his head. "I have not once been to the mall, Catherine, nor do I plan to ever go there."

"Aw come on, Gil, think of it as a fun, sociological observation. If you go with me, just once, I'll do anything you want in return."

His eyes glued themselves to hers at that comment before flicking toward her lips, his heart going tachycardic at the mere image her words provoked.

Greg sighed, taking that as his cue to leave. "Aaalright, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go over here and... throw up about something else."

Grissom and Catherine took no notice of his departure, their attention focused solely on each other. "Come on, Gil," Catherine coaxed, voice low as she regarded him through her lashes. "I'm sure you can think of something you'd love to have me do just to get back at me for dragging you to the mall. Anything you want, remember."

His right eyebrow quirked upward as the barest hint of a mischievous smirk twitched at his lips. "Catherine, believe me when I say, you don't want to open that door."

She caught the mischief in his eyes and smiled coquettishly in return, placing a hand feather-lightly against his chest as she stretched up on tiptoe, "Gil, believe me when I say..." Her voice dropped to a whisper as her lips brushed his ear. "You have no idea what I want." With that, she headed off toward the sno-cone machine, sending him a smouldering look over her shoulder.

For a moment, Grissom stood rooted to the spot, mouth slightly agape at what had just taken place between them. Then, he did the first thing that came to mind. He let out a low growl, dropped the candy on the table, and scampered after her, grabbing the blindfold along the way.

"Hey Cath? I thought of something I want to do..."

* * *

FIN

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End file.
